The Corridors of Power
by Atomix330
Summary: What if Hermione Granger was a political operative? Inspired by Emma Watson's speech to at the UN, here is a story with a political theme. (Eventual H/Hr) Set post-Hogwarts. The epilogue to the Deathly Hallows never happened. (Rated K , could rise to T later.) I own nothing but the joys of writing this. All credit to JKR, I'm merely playing with some ideas.
1. Chapter 1 - A Resignation

**The Corridors of Power; Chapter 1- A Resignation**

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><p><em>AN: So this little idea has been bouncing around in my head. It's inspired by Emma Watson making her speech at the United Nations in New York on 20__th__ September 2014 launching the HeforShe campaign. The speech is well worth a watch. But it got me thinking, what if Hermione was a political operative? JK Rowling has said that Hermione does go on to work at the Ministry after Hogwarts so what could have happened there? In this story, the Nineteen Years Later epilogue never happened, everything other than that will be canon. If we are looking for pairings, it will almost certainly, but subtly be Hermione/Harry. (Does anyone really see a political Hermione marrying Ron Weasley?) Ron will be there but for most of this story he'll be relegated to a minor role. It's all I'm prepared to say at the moment._

_So we begin this (my second) foray into the world of imagination, political strive, factions, friends, enemies, prejudice and finance and we begin of November 7__th__ 2000. It's half-past ten on a Monday morning and the Wizengamot is being gavelled into session. Chief Warlock, Tiberius Odgen presiding:_

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><p>"…<em>it is not the word that is important. It is the idea and the ambition behind it…" – Emma Watson<em>

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><p><strong>Monday 7<strong>**th**** November 2000**

**Wizengamot Chamber, Ministry of Magic, 10:30 AM**

"I call this meeting of the full Wizengamot to order!" called the Chief Warlock, Tiberius Odgen. "If the Minister for Magic could please take the floor as it is Ministry administrative business we are here to discuss."

"Thank you Chief Warlock." Kingsley gave a short bow as he strode into the well of the chamber. "We are gathered here today to elect the new head of the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to replace Mr Phillip Whitaker. This chamber would like to thank Mr Whitaker for his three decades of loyal service to this country, much of which was spent under difficult conditions."

"Hear! Hear!"

"If the candidates could please go to the well of the chamber when their names are called. They are as follows; William Joffre Burnham – the current head of the Spirit Division of the department, Meredith Elizabeth Channing – deputy head of the Department for Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, Euan Oliver Goddard – current head of the British delegation to the International Confederation of Warlocks and Hermione Jean Granger – deputy head of the Beast division of the department.

To elect one of these candidates, it requires the votes of 301 of the 601 Wizengamot members. We will hold a series of ballots until there a maximum of two candidates remaining. Or until a candidate manages to gain the required majority. All those in favour of electing Mr Burnham? All those in favour of electing Mrs Channing? All those in favour of electing Mr Goddard? All those in favour of electing Ms Granger?"

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><p>Channing and Burnham got few votes, not because the Wizengamot despised them but because they thought that they were best suited to their current positions. They took votes form the Neutral section of the chamber who could be legendarily indecisive. Goddard and Hermione almost split the vote between them. Goddard took most of the traditional pureblood faction while Hermione took votes from the 'Light' side of the chamber.<p>

"The current totals are as follows; Mrs Channing has 34 votes, Mr Burnham has 41 votes, Mr Goddard is on 261 votes and Ms Granger has a narrow lead on 263 votes. If the candidates have no objections, I propose the removal Mrs Channing and Mr Burnham from the ballot."

"Seconded!"

"Any objections? All right I would like to now invite the two remaining candidates to take to the floor and explain why you should support them. The order of the speeches will be decided by the toss of a coin. Ladies first; Miss Granger, heads or tails?"

"Heads."

"Very well." Minister for Magic; Kingsley Shacklebolt flipped a silver sickle. "I'm afraid it is tails. Ms Granger, if you would like to take a seat and would Mr Goddard like to take the floor."

"My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot, I would like to first congratulate my opponent for coming so far up the ranks of the Ministry in such a short space of time and wish her every further success in our world. However I see myself as more suitable for this role; I have no less than 22 years of experience in various Ministry departments since 1988 most recently I have represented this country at the ICW for the past 2 years. I feel infinitely more qualified. My opponent, as good as she is, would be a detriment to the post she intends to. If she were not a friend of Harry Potter, if she had no part in the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, would she be here now? I think not. The fact is Ms Granger lacks the experience, fighting dark wizards does not mean you have the skills to run one of the largest Ministry departments. On a final point, I would like to raise to the attention of this chamber, Ms Granger's agenda while she has been at the Beast Division with proposals for the rights of House Elves and the repeal of the Goblin Act of 1746 which among other things limited the power and residential rights of the Goblin Nation in an effort to prevent further goblin rebellion. I attribute these radical thoughts to Ms Granger's blood status."

There were quiet murmurings in the chamber. Kingsley winced.

"Now I have nothing against muggle-borns but I can't help but feel that Ms Granger lacks the necessary understanding of the Magical World and our ways after looking at some of her proposed policies. I ask you all to ask yourselves this; who do you want to lead this prestigious department – the wizard who has the experience and understanding, or the witch who is a minor celebrity who is too idealistic in wanting to change our way of life irreversibly. Forever? Thank you."

"Ms Granger, your rebuttal."

Hermione was seething and said in a quiet voice; "I implore you to make the right decision. My blood status is of little consequence. I want to change the world because it needs to be changed. Changed for the better. Do we want to continue doing an old job badly or do we want to do something that changes our world for the better?"

"The question is for who?" muttered one old wizard to another.

"Thank you Ms Granger. If we could have the final ballot please. All those in favour of Mr Goddard, please raise your wands, and those in favour of Ms Granger…"

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><p><strong>Wizarding Wireless Network - London Studios, Diagon Alley, 11:00 AM<strong>

"This is the Wizarding News at eleven o'clock, I'm Jane Hooper.

In the last half an hour the Wizengamot has voted on a new head for the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. As expected the front runners were Euan Goddard, the current head of the British delegation to the ICW and Hermione Granger, current head of the Beast Division of the Department. Mr Goddard won the final ballot with 320 votes to Ms Granger's 281. In his final speech to the chamber, Mr Goddard controversially suggested that Ms Granger who famously helped Harry Potter defeat the dark wizard Tom Riddle was only where she was because of her celebrity status, questioning some of her proposed policies such as the extending the rights of house elves. Mr Goddard attributed and I quote; "these radical thoughts to Ms Granger's blood status," and saying that she "lacks the necessary understanding" for the position.

Although Ms Granger admirably defended herself, Mr Goddard's suggestions were enough to thwart Ms Granger's attempts for promotion.

Mr Goddard has released a statement to the media saying that he is "looking forward to working Ms Granger and everyone else at the Department." There has been no such comment yet from Ms Granger. We'll bring it to you as soon as we receive it. Now in other news…"

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><p><strong>Auror Office, Ministry of Magic, 11:02 AM<strong>

"She must be feeling crushed. You know how much she wanted that job." Harry looked to Ron as he turned off the radio.

"Speaking of Hermione; she's coming down the corridor." Harry's red-headed friend and colleague announced.

Hermione entered, leaned against Harry's cubicle wall and sniffed slightly.

"You OK?" asked Harry.

"Not my best day."

"Hey, don't hold it against yourself." Ron chimed in.

"But the thing is I do, sometimes I look in the mirror and I ask myself whether I'm the unfriendly, bossy, know-it-all. And then I look at this place," Hermione threw open her arms, "and I feel that it just sees me as the uppity muggleborn who only is where she is because of Harry Potter and I'm sure some in the Wizengamot only saw me as a upstart little muggleborn who has thoughts above her station."

"Don't ever think that!" Ron said shocked.

"You're the friendly, loveable know-it-all that we love to be with." Harry retorted before getting up and hugging Hermione. "You're the brightest person I know and the bigots on the Wizengamot are nothing but ignorant of the fact."

"You should listen to him Hermione. I was going to say that they should have written out their opinion then rolled it up and stuck it where the sun doesn't shine. But Harry says it better!" Ron said lightly. Hermione giggled before hugging him.

"A little eloquence does get you places you know Ron," she gave him a mock-glare. "Now as lovely as this is, I've got to get back to the office and write some letters. I'll see you both later." Hermione smiled at them before leaving the room.

But her heart wasn't in it, she almost seconds after leaving the Auror Office. Hermione had good practice at hiding her emotions ever since her younger cousin Philippa started to tease her for reading books at a family party. She had despised Philippa ever since. Her aunt and uncle were wonderful people, so she couldn't comprehend how they produced Philippa. But since then she'd had to endure the insults, the whispers behind her back, the rumours and the unfounded accusations sent her way. Not just at Hogwarts but from the _Daily Prophet_ (who insisted such thing were in the public interest because she was a public figure) and also at the Ministry. For most of the time, she brushed it all off, like dust on a bookshelf, but there were times when she couldn't keep her guard up and broke down completely.

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><p><strong>Department for Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures, Ministry of Magic, 11:21 AM<strong>

When Hermione arrived back at her office in the Beast Division, the work of the day was already in full swing. Hermione had nearly decided on her future. There were already over two dozen memos hovering over her desk, circling like planes waiting to land at Heathrow. She banished them out of the room before calling for her secretary.

"There's an urgent memo just arrived from the DMLE for you, something about a goblin trying to use the 'Europe-tunnel'?"

"It's the _Euro-_tunnel, Miranda. I don't want any memos, any calls or any visitors save the Minister himself. Can you get me the first five minutes he has around noon?"

"Yes ma'am. Right on it ma'am."

"I'll be in here writing some letters and I don't want to be disturbed."

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><p><strong>Office of the Minister, Ministry of Magic, 12:12 PM<strong>

"Ms Hermione Granger is waiting outside Minister, she has an appointment."

"Thank you Andrea." Kingsley said before turning back to the other man in his office. "Well I'm afraid I'm going to have to end it there Euan. I wish you the very best of luck in your new role."

"Thank you Minister." Euan Goddard shook the Minister's hand before leaving the office.

In the ante-office outside Hermione almost tried to hide herself as Goddard emerged from the office. But she was to slow.

"Miss Granger! I do hope we can work together!"

"Yes, Director." Hermione forced a smile. 'Not after what I'm about to do,' she silently added as an afterthought.

"I'll have my secretary schedule a meeting. I'm sure it will be productive."

"Yes, Director," 'but I have no intention of being there,' she thought to herself.

"I best be off, lots to do," and the new head of the Department for Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures swept from the room.

Kingsley was watching the scene with interest, before approaching Hermione.

"I'm sorry about that. It can't be easy."

"No, which is why I have no intention of enduring that for any length of time."

"What do you mean?" asked a curious Kingsley, fearing the worst.

"Well that just made it easier. I've come to hand in my resignation."

"Are you sure?" Kingsley queried as his worst thoughts were confirmed. "It isn't workable?"

"Oh the situation is workable, the environment I'm in isn't. I'm a muggleborn Minister and even in this day and age despite the current lack of dark wizards, there is still insurmountable prejudice."

Kingsley was about to respond before Hermione ploughed on.

"Do you know why today's vote would have been significant?"

"Why?"

"Because it would be the first time a muggleborn has put him or herself forward to head a Ministry department since the 1730s. If I had succeeded, I would have been the first ever muggleborn Ministry department head."

"Surely it's something to aspire to in the future?"

"In a couple of centuries perhaps." Hermione said sarcastically.

"Change will come."

"Not until Magical Britain stops looking down upon the muggle world like they are nothing more than animals."

"Not everyone thinks that."

"Just look at the Wizengamot - they've just shown by democratic vote that they are scared of change, scared of a little muggleborn who could rock their world. But even calling them democratic is an oxymoron – that chamber isn't a democratic parliament, it's more of a royal court, whose members see it as their birth right, not elected by the people. Tell me how a governing body of old pureblood families is democratic when two in ten of the magical population have at least one muggle or parent?"

"It isn't democratic at all."

"Precisely. Did you know that well over 75% of the magical world have some form of public election to decide who rules them – America, China, France, Germany, Belgium to name but a few. We are in the backward minority."

"We can change."

"Not in either of our lifetimes. And even then, we are in Britain, it would require several billion galleons to get people to change their attitudes here."

"This isn't Fudge's administration Hermione."

"This isn't the world I want to spend the majority of my time in Minister, where there is racism and bigotry around every corner."

"You do know that if anyone else had come into this room and talked to me like this I would probably have had you fired by now."

"Well I'm saving you the trouble by resigning."

"Shouldn't you be speaking to Euan Goddard about this?"

"I should be telling the world about this. As for Mr Goddard, well Chapter IX, Clause II, Sub-clause I of the Ministry's code of practice states that resignations should be submitted to an employee who is more senior than the employee resigning."

"I didn't know that."

"You do now."

"And if I stop you?"

"Stop me doing what?"

"Resigning. If I refuse your resignation?"

"Then I'll send an open letter to the editors of the _Daily Prophet_ and _The Quibbler_, explaining the full extent of the culture of almost institutional racism in this Lovegood will print it, the _Prophet_ might and you and the Ministry would be left with egg on your face. Who wants to be led by a government whose highest elements discriminate against two in ten of them?"

"You'd really do that?"

"I don't want to. I want to go quietly. But if I have to, I will."

"Have you talked to Harry and Ron about this?"

"They don't know I'm here, and I'd appreciate if they didn't know. I've got to do this alone. I want to step out of Harry's shadow. They'd only try to drag me back here. I don't want to be dragged."

"Very well. I accept your resignation. I'll give you a good reference and you can add to any muggle job description that you had a minor post at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions under the current Secretary of State, John Prescott."

"Thank you."

"Now should you tell Harry and the others or should I?"

"Let's see how long it takes for them to find out. You can tell Goddard though."

"Somehow I didn't think he thought you'd stay for long, but I don't think he expected you to go so quickly."

Hermione smiled, "If you want to get something done, do it yourself."

"I think it would be fair to say that it's his loss."

"Thank you Minister and goodbye."

"Good luck Hermione, stay safe. Don't ignore Harry and Ron, they are your friends, they have right to know."

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><p><em>AN: So, a resignation. What do you think? This story is either going to Geneva or New York. Let me know what you think in the shiny box below and by all means check out my other stories…_


	2. Chapter 2 - The Woman in White

**The Corridors of Power; Chapter 2 – The Woman in White**

_A/N: Hello, here we are again. Five and a half years later and its July 2006. The muggle world has been rocked by a series of unfortunate events and the magical world is starting to change for the better. Welcome to Switzerland…_

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><p><em>"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only you remember to turn on the light." - Albus Dumbledore<em>

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><p><span><strong>Friday 7<strong>**th**** July, 2006**

**Quai Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland, 15:32 CEST**

The British make the best luxury cars in the world and have done for the better part of a century. Rolls Royce and Bentley have a distinctively refined air around them, they appeal to the finely tuned taste of wealth. Aston Martin build the most elegant sports cars, the lines of each car flow like water. Harry Potter had an Aston Martin. It was a DB9, a cocoon of leather and glass with a twelve cylinder engine under the bonnet with looks and performance to die for. The car was a dark metallic silver, almost a glossy battleship grey. He'd bought it in London the previous year. By muggle standards, Harry was wealthy. 'What's the point of money if you can't spend it?' he'd asked himself, before going to a nearby dealership and falling in love with the car he was sat in.

The Aston was currently parked on the side of the Quai Wilson, one of the major roads in Geneva which runs alongside north side of the lake. Harry was only a short distance from the Palace of Nations, the headquarters of the forerunner of the UN. However, Harry was currently uninterested in the workings of international diplomacy, he was currently watching a woman. He wasn't being voyeuristic but it was a woman who he thought he recognised. A woman he thought he knew. A woman who had been his best friend for many years, and a woman who he had been searching for, for the best part of five years.

She looked different though. She was dressed in a white skirt with matching blouse and jacket. Her black bag sat next to her on the bench she was sitting on. She was puffing on cigarette while admiring the enviable view of Lake Geneva with the Swiss Alps in the background. Harry knew all about that view. The long, slightly bushy hair Harry remembered had disappeared, pruned back to shoulder length and looking considerably tamer.

The more he looked at her, the more he remembered. Stories of trolls, broomsticks and teaspoons, of house elves, dark wizards and periwinkle blue ball gowns. He remembered an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and an incorrigible desire for success. And then he remembered how she must have come to be here. A self-imposed exile after a self-perceived rejection by a world of undemocratic bigots.

This was followed by Harry's own memories of the changes that had occurred in Magical Britain in the past five years. Government practise had become more transparent, integration with muggles was now encouraged, Diagon Alley expanded, greater acceptance of muggleborns promoted, a democratic government elected, an independent judiciary appointed and a braver world created. All because of two things; _The Daily Prophet_ and Harry Potter. Well technically just Harry Potter – he now owned a controlling stake in the main daily British magical tabloid which now had a broadsheet style of reporting. The Rita Skeeter and Barnabus Cuffe days of news reporting were looked back on with scorn and hatred. This was particularly ironic now seeing as Skeeter now worked as a 'senior investigative journalist' for the _Prophet_. Obviously she had misapplied her talents in her misspent youth.

Magical Britain was coming forward into the twenty-first century. It was a slow process but they were getting there. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," said the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu and "all that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing" wrote Edmund Burke.

Every minute he watched her, Harry became more convinced of her identity. Even despite the changes in appearance – the woman he knew didn't smoke. Harry made a decision, he got out of his bespoke cocoon and walked over to join her.

Hermione was still puffing on her cigarette when Harry approached.

"Those things are nothing but bad for you," he said, gesturing at the cigarette before sitting down next to her.

"I know, but when you're in my job, sometimes you need the relief. All I want is the nicotine, a couple of potions get rid of the tar and the bad breath and I've got a charm for the smell. I usually smoke herbal but I'm just having one of those days."

"Is that anyway to greet an old friend?"

"How did you find me?" Hermione ignored his question.

"I was passing and I saw a familiar face."

"You were just passing?"

"Just passing," Harry confirmed.

"Really? You were sat in your car for nearly a quarter of an hour before you came over. Is that anyway to greet an old friend or do gentle hugs and cheery greetings only occur in Hollywood romances?"

"I make a habit of not seeing them, so I couldn't tell you."

"Nice car by the way, Aston Martin?" Harry nodded, Hermione chuckled, "Dad would be jealous, as am I ever so slightly, I'm still driving a Mini."

"Would you like a ride?"

"We've only just met after over five years and you're asking me if I would like to get in to your car, how presumptuous Mr Potter!"

"I confess I have no ulterior motives Ms Granger, you are still Ms Granger, right?"

"Still 27 and single."

"But that could change."

"As I said, presumptuous."

"Seeing as you've asked me what I am doing here, why don't I ask you the same question?"

"I happen to work here. Or more technically I work just up the road at the UN."

"How come I haven't seen you before now?"

"Why would you have seen me? You are just passing remember."

"I happen to live just up the road on the lakeside. The Potters own a villa here."

"I didn't know that."

"Neither did I, until Gringotts owled me to ask me why I hadn't claimed my inheritance on my twenty-first birthday."

"You forgot about your inheritance?"

"Well what with everything going on, including your apparent disappearance off the face of the planet, it kind of slipped my mind. It was helped by the fact that I didn't know that any of this existed before the goblins helpfully decided to inform me."

"I'm sorry about that but I needed space and then I came to this place." Hermione gestured in the vague direction of the Palace of Nations. "Here I can actually change things for the better for millions of people around the world, I'm not constrained by a racist society which sees me as sub-human."

"Nobody sees you as sub-human, at least nobody is anybody in our world. And most certainly not your friends that you left behind without so much as a goodbye note. The pureblood bigotry of Britain has crumbled."

"I'm sorry about that, but at that moment I didn't feel like there was anything in the magical world for me anymore. I'd be wasting my talents and my time. Here I get to meet world leaders, talk to experts in their fields and change the muggle world, my world, for the better."

"You don't see the magical world as home anymore?"

"It was nice while it lasted," Hermione smiled wistfully, "but no, this is home now."

"I couldn't convince into returning?"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Let me try then."

"You were saying earlier about a ride in your car. You show me your world and then I'll show you mine."

"Done. But I'll have to call the office, some of us still have jobs you know!"

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><p>Hermione stubbed out her dying cigarette before discretely cleaning herself up with her wand and taking her mobile from her bag then making a call.<p>

"_Hermione Granger's, office. How can I help you?"_

"Monique, it's me. I doubt I'll be returning to the office for the rest of the day."

"_Don't worry, I've seen the date and I understand."_

"Yeah."

"_I'll stop all your calls, it's Friday and after what happened, people will understand."_

"See you on Monday."

"_Yeah, don't forget that there's that big fundraiser we've been planning on Tuesday."_

"I haven't. I'll leave you with it then."

"_Take care."_

"_Bye."_

She then followed Harry to his car. Harry opened the passenger door for her before getting in himself.

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><p>"I just need to go and fill up, while you wait, take a look at this." Harry handed her a binder full of old <em>Daily Prophet <em>cuttings.

Hermione looked through it with interest; _"Ten days to go until the second Wizengamot elections… Fraudster Graham Doyle was sent to Azkaban today after a two week trial… Britain in unsuccessful bid for the 2010 Quidditch World Cup… How many wizards does it take to install a light bulb; minimise the risks by reading our simple guide… Goblin Bill of Rights to come before the Wizengamot… Arrest of Thaddeus Avery for hate crime against muggleborns… Borgin and Burkes closed by Ministry officials… Parkinson Enterprises fined for muggleborn discrimination… Goyle Apothecaries to cease trading…firm went bust after a string of Ministry investigations into discrimination in the work place… G8 leaders meet in Scotland… British soldier killed in Iraq… Terrorist Attack rocks Muggle London…the bombing of four underground trains and a double decker bus have left 52 dead and hundreds injured…"_

The last headline caught her eye and so Hermione read the article. It was the _Evening Prophet _dated exactly one year before; Thursday 7th July 2005. _"Muggle London was rocked this morning by a series of terrorist attacks on three London Underground trains and a double decker bus. As we go to press, we do not know who did this, nobody has claimed responsibility. There were scenes of chaos as Central London shut down in the wake of these attacks…Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking at the G8 summit in Scotland expressed his dismay and said that his thoughts and feelings along with those of the British people are with the families and friends of those affected…these events just go to show that although we, the population of Magical Britain maybe living in peacetime, the muggles in our country and around the world live with the threat of this occurring everyday…the events of today or as some in the muggle press are calling it "7/7" are surely stark reminder of the muggle "War on Terror" advocated by the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush in the wake of 9/11, when two passenger planes were flown by Islamic extremist into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre on September 9__th__ 2001 killing over three thousand people…for more on the religion of Islam see page 15, for more on terrorism and its magical equivalents see page 18…"_

And then the memories came flooding back and Hermione burst into tears.

Harry found her moments later, sobbing quietly. Harry, astounded at the sudden change in Hermione's change of demeanour asked her what was wrong. Hermione, sniffed, wiped her eyes and gave Harry the article before turning to look at him dead in the eye.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed.

"Don't be."

"I was there, it was a lovely summer morning, I was on the tube to work, there was a loud bang, and then all I heard was screaming. Everything went dark. All I saw was smoke, and then there were flames, coming from the back of the train. Some of us went to see what was going on and all we saw was smoke, there were some flames and there were bodies. It was like the battle all over again, we brought out the injured, the dying and the dead. Words can't describe it. And then memories of September 2001 came back to me. I was at the UN headquarters in New York for an interview. I saw the second plane hit the towers, they evacuated the building. You could see the plumes of smoke from all over the city and I've never heard so many sirens in one place. Then the towers collapsed and it was like they'd never been there before, all that was left was this huge cloud of dust. It was surreal and it was beyond the scale of anything I had ever seen before – crowds of New Yorkers fleeing Manhattan. It made Voldemort's activity look like child's play. They killed three thousand people that day and another fifty two a year ago today. It's why I wanted to work at the UN, it gives me a chance to try and stop the killing. In many ways it's like fighting Voldemort, you can kill the terrorists but then you are only killing an idea, if you change the environment they are in, then we can kill the idea of terrorism."

Harry had pulled away from the petrol station long ago and they were cruising along a lakeside road towards Harry's Swiss home.

"I had no idea." Harry said into the silence that enveloped the luxurious interior of the Aston as they cruised on the edge of the lake.

"I'm surprised this featured in the _Prophet_"

"It's one of the best pieces of muggle news we've ever produced."

"We?"

"I have a controlling stake in the _Prophet_ now, I told them to actually find news worth printing rather than Ministry propaganda and they went to town on it. You'll often find that there are two or three 'muggle stories' in every edition. It's one of my ways of influencing the wizarding world. The power of the press."

"Seems we've both become politically minded."

"The difference is that you actually do the work while I just delegate it."

"After you've seen some of the things I've seen over the past five years, you'll be glad that you don't have my job. It can be awful, but it can also be very rewarding. It's the thought that you can get up in the morning and change somebody's life with a simple signature or a new idea that keeps you going."

"You get to change the world while I get to influence change."

"But it's damned difficult at times."

"Until I purchased a controlling interest in the _Prophet_ I wasn't being taken seriously by anyone. I was the wartime hero who wanted to become a peace time leader."

"Like Winston Churchill to Clement Atlee."

"Exactly, and then I gained influence and then I could start changing the world."

"It looks like we are here."

"So we are, welcome Hermione to Lakeside, my home near Geneva."

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><p><em>AN: So it begins…but what is "it"? I hope you've enjoyed reading and I'll post again as soon as I can. Please check out my other stories on my profile! In the meantime, the nice shiny review box is there down below, please use it. All feedback welcome; be it comment, corrections, criticism or praise! Until next time…_


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